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IFS Cloud Platform vs Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central vs SAP ERP comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.6
Users reported improved operations and financial reporting with IFS Cloud, seeing up to 4.5x ROI over 18 months.
Sentiment score
6.2
Users of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central see varying ROI; efficiency benefits reported, though timelines and outcomes differ.
Sentiment score
7.8
SAP ERP optimizes inventory and efficiency, offering long-term savings despite unclear ROI, benefiting finance more than other departments.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.8
Australian support is strong with expert consultants, but timeliness and service consistency vary, impacting resolution times and communication.
Sentiment score
4.1
Microsoft Dynamics 365 has good support, but slow responses and complex issue resolution remain areas needing improvement.
Sentiment score
6.8
SAP ERP customer service is valued for knowledgeable support but criticized for response delays and high costs without priority plans.
The lack of senior technical consultants means Tier 1 support sometimes has limited experience, which could be better.
The response time before getting someone who can provide a relevant answer is crucial.
SAP technical support is very good.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
IFS Cloud Platform is scalable for businesses of all sizes, though some face complexity in updates and dependency management.
Sentiment score
7.1
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is scalable for SMBs with customization, but scalability varies by version and deployment type.
Sentiment score
7.9
SAP ERP is highly scalable, with adaptability and modularity praised, though smaller businesses may face complexity and cost challenges.
It is scalable when moving from one version to another or adding additional components like warehouse management.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.0
IFS Cloud Platform is praised for stability and reliability, with rare downtime, and depends on client maintenance and setup.
Sentiment score
7.8
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers high stability, consistent performance, and few issues, making it reliable for organizational needs.
Sentiment score
8.2
SAP ERP is highly stable and reliable, with minimal downtime and effective performance in various operational environments.
For the cloud, we have not faced any downtimes or stability issues.
Stability-wise, SAP ERP is the best product among others.
 

Room For Improvement

IFS Cloud Platform requires usability, integration, and support improvements, along with enhanced customization, AI, and simplified user experience.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central lacks in cost management, customization, security, reporting, automation, integration, and compatibility features.
SAP ERP needs better user interface, easier integration, improved support, flexible reporting, affordable pricing, and enhanced user-friendliness.
There is not much available online, and the documentation availability is on the lower side compared to other products, especially Maximo.
There's a gap in advanced features that other platforms like NetSuite handle better.
There is a need for improvement in consolidation and multi-country master data management.
Features that allow transactions based on barcoding should be part of the ERP component.
 

Setup Cost

IFS Cloud Platform offers competitive pricing, best for large enterprises, with scalable value similar to SAP and Oracle.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers cost-effective, flexible subscription pricing, though implementation and partner support may incur additional costs.
SAP ERP is costly, favored by large enterprises for features, but may deter smaller businesses due to high expenses.
The pricing for Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable.
The pricing for SAP ERP is medium but slightly on the higher side.
 

Valuable Features

IFS Cloud Platform offers customizable pricing, robust integration, intuitive interface, and excels in enterprise management with adaptable features.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central offers seamless integration, customization, and robust features, appealing to SMBs with real-time data and global compliance.
SAP ERP offers integration, customization, and scalability with strong finance modules, enhancing decision-making and user experience for enterprises.
There are fewer fields on the user screen compared to other products.
The value for money is very high as it fits the business well.
It provides localized compliance for every country, covering VAT compliances, taxing policies, and corporate taxes.
The consistent integrations and real-time data analytics in SAP ERP significantly enhance the decision-making process by facilitating follow-ups and action points.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the ERP category, the mindshare of IFS Cloud Platform is 2.6%, up from 2.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is 6.7%, up from 6.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP ERP is 18.7%, down from 22.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
ERP
 

Featured Reviews

Brendan Fisher - PeerSpot reviewer
Robust, customizable, and modern
IFS is a very large and complex software, and implementation of IFS can be challenging and may lead to a difficult lengthy project. It can take between 12 and 24 months in some cases to deploy. I have found that not all clients are fully aware of how big the task is that they're undertaking when they make a decision to move to software like this. Companies need to be more aware of the complexity of an ERP implementation project and while I fully recommend moving to IFS, it is not easy and does require business change when adopting an ERP solution. New features are a difficult ask - I work across multiple industries and everyone would probably choose a different feature. Maybe BIM in Construction or Customs link-ups for importers/exporters.
StefaanVandesompele - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides end-to-end accounting and finance module at reasonable pricing
365 Business Central integrates with Office 365 to streamline the invoice approval process. This allows businesses to manage and approve invoices efficiently within a unified system. Our organization plans to transition to the Dynamics 365 environment, where various functions will be centralized. We will consolidate everything into one system instead of maintaining multiple databases for each country with local data. Dynamics 365 is fully integrated, which should address many of our challenges when we migrate to this new environment. We look forward to seeing how it performs in practice. The project is progressing well overall, though integrating it with other tools and ensuring Dynamics 365 operates smoothly can be challenging. Dynamics 365 is user-friendly and effective. However, a deeper understanding of its technical capabilities and architecture might be necessary to optimize its use fully. The software landscape is evolving, and achieving the best reporting and functionality with just a click can be complex. A clear vision of what you want to achieve with Dynamics 365 is essential. Proper preparation and configuration are crucial to achieving the desired outcomes. This principle applies not only to Dynamics 365 but to all software packages. Understanding the system's flexibility and adaptability based on your specific business needs is key to its successful implementation. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Srinivasan Kuppuswamy - PeerSpot reviewer
The amazing, robust framework with unlimited scalability earns its #1 status
The solution is not ready for the current e-commerce environment. Its was built for large enterprises who need to predictably optimize their human, material, and financial resources. ERP has evolved and businesses are changing. There are not many large corporations. Most are small enterprises with the capabilities of large enterprises through networking and platform integration. Some companies promote products but get things done with other enterprises as a network. Companies do not want to create new capacity but want to leverage existing capacity with innovative products. They do not want to spend resources on duplicating capacity or facilities. I do not think any ERP product is ready to support this environment so ERPs as a whole might end up being used for back-office functions only. It is not easy to evolve an ERP product because its intent is to integrate functions and processes within an organization. Whereas, in the new business model, processes are not limited to one's own enterprise but cut across different enterprises. There is no enterprise solution as this point in time for the current e-commerce environment so companies must integrate with many solutions.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
6%
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Retailer
6%
Manufacturing Company
14%
Computer Software Company
12%
Retailer
7%
University
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IFS Applications?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten since it is an extremely scalable solution that can be...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IFS Applications?
The product is reasonably priced. The costs are justified by the value provided, considering the comprehensive featur...
What needs improvement with IFS Applications?
I am not able to recall much about batch. Documentation-wise, they need more. There is not much available online, and...
What do you like most about Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The platform offers a robust and comprehensive cycle for supply chain and inventory management, with features like mi...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The pricing for Dynamics 365 Business Central is reasonable. The value for money is very high.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Dynamics NAV?
The advanced warehouse functionalities are not available and should be improved. The purchase requisition process is ...
Is Anaplan better than SAP ERP?
There are different aspects of both Anaplan and SAP ERP that I like and dislike. Anaplan improves forecast accuracy a...
What do you like most about SAP ERP?
The solution has made the most significant impact on our human resources function, specifically in HR operations and ...
What needs improvement with SAP ERP?
SAP ERP could improve by integrating additional components such as digital signatures and barcoding. Having such feat...
 

Also Known As

IFS Applications, Assyst, IFS Cloud
Dynamics NAV, MS Dynamics NAV
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

China Airlines, Electrolux Group, Babcock, Cimcorp, Sky, Multiplex, Veolia. 
Harris Farm Markets, Mister Spex GmbH, Bounce Foods, Eurofin Services SA, Medica Medizintechnik, Associated Gaskets, Onduline, Sitka Surfboard Corporation, World Animal Protection
B&G Manufacturing, Unilever, Life is good Inc., Joy Global Inc., City of Cape Town, Bhopal Municipal, Corporation (BMC), adidas Group, Butcher & Packer Supply Company, Franklin Valve L.P., Evoshield, Prime Meats, a Norsan Group company, EMC Corporation, Varian Medical Systems Inc., FC Bayern Mªnchen AG, AkzoNobel Chemicals B.V., T¾V Rheinland, Pacific Drilling S.A., Fire & Rescue New South Wales, University of Amsterdam, Pa_alon S.A.
Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Microsoft, Infor and others in ERP. Updated: June 2025.
861,803 professionals have used our research since 2012.